Introduction Clinical Summary Since the introduction of silicone in the early 1980s for the prevention and treatment of hypertrophic & keloid scars, it s therapeutic effects have been well documented in medical literature. 1,2 Silicone has since been established as the standard of care for the treatment and prevention of scars, 3 and has now become the accepted method for plastic Surgeons and Dermatologists. The unique properties of silicone result in its efficacy, whether silicone sheets, gel or spray are used. The summaries below all demonstrate that Scar MD Scar Gel and Spray can be used effectively to treat and prevent scars. What are Scars? Scars are produced as a result of a trauma to the skin. All wounds produce scars and they are part of the normal healing process, but pathogenic or abnormal scars result when the bodies self-regulation of the healing process goes awry and the body continues to produce too much collagen, even after the wound has healed. Abnormal scars are red and raised, sometimes painful and itchy and can cause both physiological and psychological distress to the patient. There are three main types of scars:
Scar MD Scar Gel Mode of Action: Silicone in various formats has been used since the 1980s to treat red and raised scars. The efficacy of silicone has been established in many peer reviewed studies. 3,4 Recent work has focused on the mode of action of silicone on the treatment of scars. The most recent theory is that occlusion is the main factor that contributes to the effectiveness of silicone on the treatment of scars. The occlusion of silicone has been proven to reduce the overproduction of collagen by regulating the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). 5 Data has proven that although this is the main mode of action, other semi-occlusive dressings are not as effective as silicone as at treating scars. 6 This implies that there is something specific about silicone that above all else has an effect on flattening scars, reducing the redness and minimizing the pain and itchiness. Scar MD Scar Gel - Effectiveness There is data on several thousand patients, proving the effectiveness of the silicone in Scar MD Scar Gel and Spray. Several meta-analysis of the data have been carried out and these consistently show that patients scars improve over a 2-3 month period by up to 80%, as measured by patient satisfaction. The clinical trials generally use visual end points for the measurement of effectiveness of the treatment. New data focused on the use of more objective, quantitative measurements of the reduction in redness, volume, pain and itchiness of scars. 70% % of Patients that developed Hypertrophy 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% No Treatment Silicone Scar Treatment 0% 2 Month Evaluation 6 Month Evaluation
Silicone has been proven to significantly reduce the incidence of scarring compared to placebo 8
All the criteria that were measured in this study, showed in difference with placebo. These are the main symptoms that patients complain of and therefore proving that patients will see a difference if silicone is used in the treatment of their scars. In addition, silicone has been proven to prevent scars compared to placebo, 4 when compared to nontreatment in a 100 wounds on 50 patients. This study was a randomized, placebo controlled, doubleblind prospective clinical trial. One hundred wounds in 50 patients were randomized into 50 control and 50 silicone gel. No Treatment Silicone Scar Treatment 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Summary Scar MD Silicone Scar Gel & Spray are unique formulations of silicone that dry to form an ultra-thin layer on the skin. This provides a semi-occlusive barrier, with similar breathability to the skin. This modifies the factors involved in healing to normalize the production of collagen. This in turn reduces the redness of abnormal scars, decreases their volume and reduces the pain and itchiness.
Clinical studies have proven the effectiveness of silicone at treating all types of scars, whether they are new scars, old scars, large scars or small scars. The recommendations from the clinical reviews are clear silicone should be used as the first line of treatment in all types of scars 3
Scar MD Scar Gel offers a unique and cost effective way to treat a major problem & improve a patient s quality of life. Bibliographic References: 1. Sawada Y, Sone K. Hydration and occlusion treatment for hypertrophic scars and keloids. Br J Plast Surg. 1992;45:599-603 2. Fulton JE., Jr Silicone gel sheeting for the prevention and management of evolving hypertrophic and keloid scars. Dermatol Surg. 1995;21:947-51 3. Mustoe TA, eta all. International clinical recommendations on scar management. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2002; 110:560-71. 4. Durani P, Bayat A. Levels of evidence for the treatment of keloid disease. J Plast Reconstr Aesthetic Surg. 2008;31:4-17. 5. Wound Repair Regen. 2010 Mar-Apr;18(2):235-4. Occlusion regulates epidermal cytokine production and inhibits scar formation. 6. Dermatol Surg. 1996 Sep;22(9):775-8. A randomized controlled trial of hydrocolloid dressing in the treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids. 7. Cruz-Korchin; Effectiveness of silicone sheets in the prevention of Hypertrophic breast scars; Anh Plas Surg; 1996;(3);345-348 8. Chan KY, et al. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. September 15, 2005;16(4):11013-1020; A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Prospective Clinical Trial of Silicone Gel in Prevention of Hypertrophic Scar Development in Median Sternotomy Wound 9. Dermatol Surg. 2001 Jul;27(7):641-4. Prevention of hypertrophic scars and keloids by the prophylactic use of topical silicone gel sheets following a surgical procedure in an office setting.